Gone
by Ardikani4
Summary: Part One in my Bones Trilogy. Brennan has been kidnapped by a familiar enemy. Can Booth and the Jeffersonian team find her before it's too late?
1. Taken in the Night

**Hello all. I know I already posted this story, but it drove me crazy that it was one big run-on, so I'm working on correcting it now and re-posting it. Should be done within an hour.**

It had been a long, grueling day at the Jeffersonian. Brennan was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The talented Jeffersonian forensics team, with a great amount of effort on her part, had solved their latest case, but Brennan's mind was still struggling to process the last remnants of emotions and memories from her emotional upheaval a week ago. It had been a long and trying journey already, and though she knew it would end eventually, she dreaded the days between now and then. There were still times when she felt lost and confused by everything that had happened. _And then there was Booth..._

Shaking her head, Brennan managed to clear her mind just long enough to drive home. All she wanted to do was fall in bed, but she decided a shower was in order. If she was lucky, the hot water would soothe away the aches and pains brought on by the day. But she knew that there was nothing that could take away the ache in her heart. _Except him..._

Brennan emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, most of her physical pain gone, though her emotions were still in chaos. _Sleep is definitely in order._ She took a couple aspirin to deal with the pain she would undoubtedly feel in the morning before she collapsed into bed. She was so fragged that she was out the second her head hit her pillow.

Some time later, Brennan couldn't be sure exactly how long, she was rudely awakened by a powerful hand clamping down over her mouth as her hands and feet were swiftly bound together. It all happened so fast that she didn't have a chance to scream or fight back. She was afraid, mostly of her unknown assailant's intentions with her, but that fear rocketed into terror unlike anything she had ever felt when a sinister snarl grated softly in her ears. "Dr. Brennan, the Gravedigger said to tell you hi. She said she promised you this wasn't over. Guess what? She was right."

So many thoughts went tearing through Brennan's mind at that moment that she couldn't even act on the terror that was coursing through her body. A brief moment of lucidity calmed her and one last conscious thought ran through her mind before something smashed into the side of her head and sent her into blissful darkness. _Will I live long enough to regret working another case like this? And will I ever get the chance to tell them all that I'm sorry?_


	2. A Friend in Need

In another apartment not too far away, a big FBI agent snapped awake, all his senses on alert as he pulled his sidearm out of the nightstand drawer next to him and came to his feet in one swift movement. His expressive brown eyes searched the room, his sniper instincts screaming that there was danger nearby as his girlfriend sat up and asked fearfully, "Seeley, what's wrong? Why do you have your gun?"

Special Agent Seeley Booth didn't answer, relaxing slowly as he put the gun back where it belonged before climbing back into bed. He stared at the ceiling, his mind in a whirl as he wondered, _What was that about?_

He was unaware of Hannah's presence next to him, nor was he cognizant of her fear. She was scared and he was not even trying to comfort her. All he was aware of was his instincts, and he knew better than to ignore them. They had saved his life more times than he count. _Something is wrong. Somewhere, something is wrong,_ he thought as a cold feeling in his gut filled him with dread at what was to come.

**XXXXX**

It was a routine Saturday morning at the Jeffersonian. Angela Montenegro came breezing in, her joy for life and living apparent as always as she burst into the office of Doctor Temperance Brennan.

"Morning Sweetie! I know you haven't eaten breakfast yet so I figured..." She had quickly scanned the room as she entered, and she stopped speaking when she realized that she was alone. "Sweetie?" She asked in confusion, checking the room once more before heading out into the main area of the Medico-Legal Lab. _Not on the platform_, she thought. _Maybe she's in Limbo?_

The forensic artist checked and re-checked every common area that Brennan could usually be found in before ending up back in her friend's office, an expression of annoyance on her face as she pulled out her cell phone. _She told me she'd be here to finish up the paperwork for that case. Maybe she overslept..._ Angela thought as she hit the speed dial for Brennan's number. As she did, her husband walked in. Doctor Jack Hodgins, renowned entomologist, was playfully known as the Jeffersonian's resident bug and slime guy. "Hey Angie! What's up?"

Angela held up a hand to silence him as Brennan's voicemail kicked on. "Hey Sweetie, it's just me. I'm here at the lab, wondering how I, of all people, managed to beat you here. Call me please, Sweetie. You know how I hate to worry. Bye." She snapped the phone shut as her husband's eyebrows shot up.

"No Brennan yet? That's a first." He said as Angela bit her lip, her dark eyes showing her concern for her best friend. "She did take that case really hard last week. She has not looked good at all since then." Angela replied as one of the Jeffersonian's security guards approached.

"Doctor Hodgins? Miss Montenegro? A package was just delivered here. It's addressed 'Doctor Brennan's Team' but I was unsure who to give it to. You two are the first I've seen this morning so..." Angela reached for the package as Hodgins said, "We'll take it. Thanks Beau." The guard nodded and walked away as they took the package up onto the viewing platform.

They opened the package carefully, Hodgins taking the packaging to one of the tables and placing it gently on the smooth surface as Angela studied the photo packet that the package had contained. She opened it and removed the photos as Hodgins studied the packaging. His head snapped around at his wife's horrified gasp as she cried, "Oh my God! Brennan!"

Hodgins was at her side instantly, his eyes scanning the photos in his wife's trembling hands as he whipped out his cell phone and hit a speed dial. "Booth, it's Hodgins. You need to get to the Jeffersonian, right now!" He listened to the agent's usual grumbling about what time it was before his fierce temper took control and he yelled, "Listen to me, you idiot! Someone has kidnapped Doctor Brennan! She's in danger!"


	3. Snapshots in Time

Hodgins' call not only brought Booth to the Jeffersonian at a dead-run, it sent the FBI agent into a rage unlike anything the team had ever seen. His arrival at the Medico-Legal Lab was nothing less than spectacular. The moment the doors opened, he let loose with a roar that sent the interns scrambling for cover as all of the security guards went on high alert.

"Hodgins! What the hell do you mean, Bones is in danger? Where the hell is my partner?" His dark eyes were blazing with a sort of sheer madness that no one had ever seen as Booth searched the room for 'his' squints.

The entire forensics team was on the viewing platform, so Booth swiped his card and hurried to join them. What Booth saw in front of him brought him to a screeching halt and drained the fury from his powerful frame.

It wasn't Angela, whose sobs of fear and grief were filled with so much pain that they brought everyone in hearing range to tears.

Not Hodgins, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of grief, shock, and anger as he helplessly tried to comfort his devastated wife.

Nor was it Doctor Camille Saroyan, her dark eyes wide with shock as she stared mutely at the table in front of her, her eyes unfocused and unseeing.

What brought the fearsome Army Ranger, sniper, and legendary FBI agent out of an uncontrollable, mindless rage were a few pictures. Pictures of his beloved partner.

There were fourteen of them, each one of them taken from a different angle. In every picture, Brennan was conscious and staring straight at the camera. Her clothes were somewhat intact, but it was clearly evident that the tough forensic anthropologist had been beaten terribly.

Her brown hair was badly matted and covered with blood. She had awful cuts and bruises from her head to her toes, blood and dirt mixing and clotting in almost every wound. The damage to her bare feet clearly showed that she had been dragged, and that she had fought every inch of the way. The stiffness with which she was holding her left arm pointed to either a broken arm or rib, or both.

However, out of all the physical damage that had been done, all the abuse she had suffered, none of that is what brought FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth to his knees. It was her eyes.

Brennan's eyes, blue to some and green to others, were filled with fear. But Booth saw beyond the fear; he saw her regret and her pain. And he saw her hope. That hope, shining so deep in her eyes that no one but him could see it, awakened a pain that went so deep in his soul that it brought tears to his eyes.

_She trusts me to come for her,_ he thought._ She trusts me to keep her safe and bring her home._ It was at that moment that Booth understood. He knew then that it was his partner's terror during her abduction that had brought him out of a dead sleep, ready to fight for his life. _And for hers._

This remarkable woman had a mind so powerful that she was able to reach out and make a connection with him from several miles away. He stared at her now, at the pictures of her, snapshots in time that were markers of what could possibly be the worst moments of her life.

And yet...he sensed her defiance. He could feel her belief. He saw her strength.

Even in this, one of her most trying times, she was still beautiful to him. She was still magnificent. She was still Bones, the woman he knew so well and had loved for so long.

In that moment, he knew without a shadow of a doubt what he had to do. _Hang on, Bones. Just hang on. I will find you. I will bring you home._

**XXXXX**

Somewhere, miles away, Brennan's eyes flickered momentarily as she felt her connection to her partner growing stronger. _He believes,_ she thought. _He believes in himself. And he believes in me. Booth..._

His name was her last thought before her eyes closed as she drifted back into darkness once more...


	4. A Deadly Game

Despite his shock, anger, and grief, Booth knew he had to get the team focused and on task. They were the only people in the world that could find Brennan in time. He stepped forward until he stood directly in front of Angela. She didn't even look up; still wracked by sobs, it was clear that her mind was still reeling at what she had seen.

"Angela? I know this is hard. God, I can't even begin..." His voice cracked and broke, forcing him to clear his throat and swallow hard as he gathered his thoughts before he continued. "She needs us, Angela. All of us. I can't find her without you."

The three of them looked at him. His team. Brennan's only hope. _Please, God, give them the strength to focus. Help them to help me._

Hodgins was the first to step forward, grief in his eyes as he ground his teeth in a sign of extreme stress, but an air of determination had come over him as he stared at the FBI agent that they had all come to respect and love as he asked quietly, "What would you have us do, Booth?"

Booth looked at him, gratitude warming his heart as both Cam and Angela straightened up, their eyes reflecting the determination that the entomologist had shown as they stepped up next to Hodgins and looked at Booth, waiting for him to tell them what to do.

"All right. He gave us everything we need." He turned and picked up one of the pictures, his hand shaking as he said softly, "In these pictures, he was foolish enough to show windows, dirt...sorry Hodgins, _particulates_, a whole crapload of weapons, and...and Brennan. He gave us everything we need to nail his ass to a wall."

Booth saw the wheels in all their heads beginning to turn as realization dawned in their eyes. He spoke again, directing each of the experts before him to the details that would begin their mission.

"Angela, all the pictures with windows in them belong to you. Focus on the windows. See if you can spot anything through them and correlate it to a specific area. Hodgins, I know it isn't actually anything you can get your hands on, but study that dirt, the stone in the walls, _anything_ in these pictures that can help you determine a location. Cam, I want you to take a look at Brennan's injuries and try to get a timeline for when she was taken based on how she was injured. I'll call Sweets, get him in here to analyze these weapons and how they are placed. Maybe he'll give us a baseline for what kind of slime we're hunting."

Booth stopped speaking then and studied them closely as he asked softly, "Can you all do that for me? For...for Bones?" He sat there, looking at them looking at him, and waited. _If I break them, I'll never get her back._

One by one, they all nodded, their emotions in chaos, but their minds strong as each set out to perfom the task he had requested. That left Booth with his own list of things he needed to get taken care of while he waited for them to come up with something.

_First, call Sweets and alert the higher-ups of the situation. The sooner they get up to speed on this, the better. Second, talk to the security guards and have them detain anyone who brings in anything that looks like it's even remotely related to Brennan's kidnapping. Third...call Max._ The last item was what Booth was dreading the most. _I have to tell him that I lost her. I have to tell him that she's in danger because I wasn't there._

**XXXXX**

Brennan came back to partial consciousness, shaking her head slightly as the darkness faded from her vision as she took a long, careful look at her surroundings. As she did so, she analyzed the pain she was feeling and identified each injury in turn, her thoughts calm and her feelings in complete control as she did so.

_Broken ribs, four and five on the left, _she thought._ Left ulna fractured. Plenty of dried blood on me, so lots of lacerations. Stiffness all over. I must look like I got tossed in a meat grinder. Didn't that guy say he was working for the Gravedigger? Demonic woman...she'll go to the deepest pits of hell for what she's done and what she's manipulated others into doing. On the bright side, at least I'm not buried alive this time._

She was in some sort of big room, a perfect square, about twenty feet by twenty. _Scratch that, it's a musty basement, _she corrected herself. Brennan studied her surroundings, noting with interest the wide variety of medieval weapons of war and ancient devices of torture on the walls. _Hmm. Quite the romantic type. Really knows how to make a lady feel special,_ she thought. She was pleasantly surprised at her own dark humor and lack of candor about the obvious danger she was in, and despite the gag in her mouth, she chuckled softly.

Her captor walked in just in time to hear her chuckling quietly, and he started towards her as he said, "So you're awake! I was hoping you would be. It's past time for me to send the next message to your friends at the Jeffersonian."

She recognized her captor, nearly rolling her eyes as she thought, _Should've known. Doesn't surprise me that she was able to convince him to pull this stunt._ What did surprise her was how much his words amused her, and she chuckled once again, almost beside herself with amusement. She only laughed harder as he stared at her with anger in his eyes.

"You find this funny? How quaint. I think I know just what to send your friends. Yes, that will do quite nicely..." He muttered to himself as he set about choosing his instrument of punishment for what she could only assume he thought was her insolence.

The tone of her chuckling became decidely colder and more deadly as her thoughts switched from dispassioned calm to defiant fury. _Nothing like dark humor to piss off those with such woefully low IQ scores,_ she thought. _I should have known I'd end up seeing this defunct individual again. Wonder what his endgame is? His reasoning behind this madness?_

Strangely, Brennan found she was no longer afraid of what was to come. She watched as he donned a dark jumpsuit and put a ski mask over his face to mask his identity. He set up a video camera and turned it on. She saw the red light start flashing, indicating he was recording what he was about to do.

As he advanced, chosen weapon in hand, Brennan felt her face harden as hatred for this man, this abomination of a human, filled her to the very core of her being. _Whatever he has planned,_ she thought, _I will face him without fear. If this is to be my fate, then so be it. I will not die knowing I gave him the pleasure of watching me become something I am not._

So ferocious was Brennan's gaze that it stopped him in his tracks, his eyes wide at the unbridled rage glittering in her cold blue eyes. Her lack of fear surprised him, and it took a concentrated effort on his part to move forward once again. She looked ready to rip him to pieces, given the chance. And he knew if she got that chance, she wouldn't hesitate. He was a dead man if she got free.

At his pause, a deadly smile crept across her features. She had won. As he advanced again, she kept her eyes on his, her thoughts as deadly as her smile as she thought,_ Do your worst, you hell-spawned scum. There is nowhere on Earth you can hide once I get loose. And if I don't get you, Booth will._


	5. Fight with Hannah

Booth had finished his list of things to do. A million thoughts jostled in his mind and screamed for his attention, but he didn't care. All he could think about was Brennan. The pictures of her kept playing through his head like some twisted slideshow that he had no idea how to stop. _Why her? Why not me? What did she do to deserve such unbelievable cruelty? Could I have prevented this?_

Booth was so deep in thought that he didn't realize that someone was behind him until he heard his name. "Booth?" He jumped, sprang to his feet, and spun around, her name on his lips before he could stop himself. "Bones?"

The instinctive hope that had flared in his heart died when he saw who it was. "Oh. It's you." He said, disappointment clear in his voice as he sat back down. Hannah, insulted by his tone and the fact that he said Brennan's nickname instead of hers, snapped, "Nice to see you too, Seeley. What are you doing here?"

Booth was seated in Brennan's office, on her couch, where he and Brennan had sat together so many times before. He stared at Hannah, nonplussed. "What do you mean? I'm going to stay here until the squints get something so I can go find my partner. The FBI knows I'm here. Hacker knows I'm here. Who cares?"

She snorted, her stance suggesting outrage and anger, and it was directed at him. "I don't mean it like that! I mean, WHY ARE YOU IN BRENNAN'S OFFICE? Why aren't you out on the platform or up in the lounge? Somewhere normal?"

Before he knew it, Booth was on his feet, his frustration at his inability to be there when Brennan had needed him most exploding like a nuclear warhead. "What's your problem, Hannah? Why do YOU care so much that I'm sitting in MY partner's office?"

Infuriated at his implication, Hannah lunged forward and slapped him twice as hard as she could. "Fine! Go to hell, Seeley! Don't blame ME for trying to care!" As she turned and stormed out, Booth watched her go, seeing the world through a haze of red as he sat back down and tried to control his fury.

_That's what I get for trying to settle for second best,_ he thought, his anger slowly cooling as his thoughts turned to Brennan once more. Sadness took over as he remembered the look in her eyes as she stared at the camera. Fear. Anger. Defiance. Belief.

_She believes in me. Bones, a woman who always needed hard proof, concrete assessments, and solid facts to believe in something. And she believes in me. Now all I need to do is believe in myself so that I can bring her home._


	6. Gone

Booth was still in Brennan's office when a yell of triumph split the air behind him. "Booth, I found her! I FOUND HER!" The FBI agent was off the couch, through the door, and on the platform so fast that he didn't remember swiping his card to keep the alarm from going off.

Hodgins began babbling a mile a minute, but before Booth could stop him, Hodgins stopped himself. "Hell, who am I kidding? You don't care how I found her, only that I did. She's HERE!" The entomologist slammed his finger onto a map he had set up, pointing out one specific building on its surface.

Booth looked at Hodgins, his voice low and filled with tension as he said, "You're sure?" Hodgins slammed his hands onto the table in front of him with so much force that a security guard came up onto the platform to ensure everything was all right. "Booth, THIS IS WHAT I DO. Trust me! She's there!" Booth was gone a heartbeat later.

**XXXXX**

_He chose the whip of a slavedriver. Intriguing choice...oh, this one's a little different...five tails...and they're tipped with specially designed fitted end pieces. This is going to hurt... _Brennan thought as her tormentor approached, whip in hand.

**XXXXX**

_I'm going to unleash hell on this guy...whoever he is, _Booth thought as he ripped through traffic, lights blazing, siren howling as he put in a call for backup at the location Hodgins had given him. _You'd better be right, Jack. Out of all the times you COULD have been wrong, you'd better not be today._

**XXXXX**

The whip came down with a hiss and a crack. Brennan's jaws ground together as she choked down a cry of pain. _Think of something. Get your mind off the pain. Booth! Think of Booth! Think of what you're going to tell him...what you've meant to tell him for so long. Booth! Help me!_

**XXXXX**

Booth had come to a screeching halt in the dirt parking lot of the building Hodgins had given to him. From his viewpoint, it seemed like the entire FBI had been dispatched to the area. There were FBI agents and local law enforcement and cruisers of every shape and size and color...it was an absolute madhouse.

And then suddenly, he heard a voice. It was a plea, a cry, a call, and a summons all at once. _Bones_. Her voice in his mind again. He was her escape from some unimaginable agony. She needed him NOW. He had no choice.

**XXXXX**

From the perspective of the other agents and cops on scene, FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth went eerily still for no apparent reason. His eyes lost focus as he started concentrating on something very, very hard.

A second later, he pulled his sidearm, lunged forward, kicked in the nearest door, and disappeared into a big dark building with no one at his back. He moved quickly and without hesitation, leaving the others scrambling in his wake.

**XXXXX**

The whip descended on her shoulders a second time. Brennan could feel the blood running down her back, could hear it dripping into a small puddle on the cold dirt beneath her feet. _So much blood...so much pain...so many regrets...Booth..._

She barely felt the physical pain now. She was in shock from the pain and blood loss. But the emotional agony...remembering the heartbreak in his eyes the night Sweets had challenged him to take a gamble, the night when she had turned and run away...when she had nearly destroyed them both.

She was done running. She was ready to die for what she'd done to him that night. _The emotional trauma I've caused...unforgivable._

All she wanted was a chance to tell him one last thing. _A chance to tell him what he has deserved to hear for so long...and one last chance to tell him goodbye. Booth..._

**XXXXX**

Brennan's voice came to Booth's mind a second time. He could almost feel her, she was so close. _So close, yet so far._ A sixth sense was guiding him through the dark and the maze of turns he had to navigate, taking him unerringly on the most direct path to his partner. _No time to lose._

As he turned a corner, a sudden blinding pain hit him across his back and shoulders. It was so agonizing that he staggered sideways, his shoulder colliding with a wall as he shook his head to clear the haze from his eyes. Then he realized that he had not been struck, and he went cold from fear. _Bones._ He was so close that he could feel her physical pain. He shook it off, his mind guiding him once more as he charged into the unknown once again.

**XXXXX**

_Strike three._ Brennan's mind was starting to shut down. She could barely focus. Her body had suffered too much abuse. She was dizzy from blood loss, dehydrated, and going into shock. She was dying. _Booth..._

**XXXXX**

Booth had just descended a set of stairs when Brennan's voice whispered through his mind, an echo that was so weak in comparison to what it had been before that his heart stopped. _Oh my God. Bones is dying._

He looked around, spotting a door out of the corner of his right eye. He zeroed in, no doubt in his mind that this was the right door. She was right there.

All his senses screamed at him to move. _Now...now...NOW!_

**XXXXX**

Brennan's head was starting to drop as the darkness began to close in. _Out of time..._ She heard the hiss as the whip went back, then the whistle as it started to descend. _One last strike...no more time...Booth..._

**XXXXX**

Never had Seeley Booth kicked a door in that hard. Not during his days as a soldier, and never during his raids with the FBI. It flew off the hinges and crashed, shattered and broken, against the far wall.

As he entered the room, everything slowed down and came into stunning focus. Every detail in the room became sharp and clear. And the scene before him would haunt him for the rest of his life.

A man in a ski mask was holding some sort of vicious whip and in front of him sat Brennan, bound and tied to a blood-soaked metal chair. She was a mere shadow of the precocious, fearless woman that he knew. At his entrance, she raised her head and looked into his eyes just as the whip came down again.

Booth reacted instantly, but it seemed that he raised his gun so, so slowly. _Too slowly._ He trained it on Brennan's tormentor and fired twice, just as the whip struck home. The first round struck her assailant's right shoulder and the second caught him dead between the eyes. And as he fell, bright red blood arced in the air, spattering widespread like some terrible form of rain as Booth realized, with dawning horror, just whose blood it was.

"Bones!" He went to her, cutting her loose and sinking to his knees with her in his arms as she looked at him, her bright blue eyes, always so vibrant, beginning to dim. He clapped a hand over the awful wound to her throat, panic clawing at the edge of his sanity as he whispered, "No Bones, don't do this! I'm here! I'm here..."

When Booth had burst into the room, he had startled Brennan's attacker, causing him to misjudge the final blow with the whip. As she raised her head to look at Booth, one of the tails wrapped around her neck, and when the first bullet struck him, his arm jerked back, causing the razor-sharp fitted end to rip her throat wide open.

Booth stared into Brennan's eyes, frantic and terrified as her heartbeat started to fade beneath his fingers. "No, no, no, no, no, no...Bones! Bones! You can't leave! I love you! You can't leave, Bones! Please, Bones, no..."

She blinked once, twice, and then the light of life, of living, began to fade away from the depths of her eyes. In a final gesture of regret for words left unsaid, she reached out, touching his cheek as she looked into his eyes one last time. Her eyes said so much. Then her hand fell away as her eyes misted over and closed forever.

Booth sat in complete shock. _No, Bones can't be..._ Her heartbeat faded away beneath his fingertips. Brennan was gone.


	7. In Limbo

The next thirty minutes were a blur to Booth. An ambulance crew whisked Brennan away, working frantically to bring her back despite the fact that she was officially dead when they had arrived.

Someone, Booth couldn't recall who, gave him a ride to the Hoover building and sent him into the men's locker room to shower and change. When he looked in a mirror, he knew why. He was covered in blood and dirt, and there was even some blood spatter on his face from the arterial spray when Brennan's throat had been slashed.

He was on autopilot as he showered, scrubbing Brennan's blood from his hands and face as tears flowed unheeded from his eyes, his mind replaying those last fateful moments over and over and over again. _I failed her. She believed in me, believed that I would save her, and I failed. She's gone because of me. She's gone because I wasn't there._

After changing into a clean set of clothes, he drove to the hospital where Brennan had been taken, his mind still on autopilot. To him, it felt like it had been an eternity since Brennan had died in his arms.

Booth walked into the waiting room and found himself facing the whole Squint Squad. Angela was curled in Hodgins's lap, whimpering quietly as he comforted her gently. Cam was standing near a window, staring into the distance, and behind her, Jeffersonian interns were scattered all over the room, sitting, standing, and wandering randomly.

Hodgins looked up as Booth came in, his blue eyes turning to ice the moment he saw him. Angela, alerted by his sudden tension, looked up as well.

"Booth!" Angela yelled, her voice harsh with pain as she leaped to her feet. "You were supposed to take care of her! You were supposed to keep her safe and make sure she was never hurt! Why didn't you? You FORGOT her, that's why! And how did you manage to forget your own partner? Because of your stupid war correspondant girlfriend! My best friend is in surgery, barely alive, because YOU failed her! You left her behind!"

Booth didn't move, knowing he deserved her rage. _God, why couldn't it have been me? Why did he take Bones?_ He wondered again.

He looked at them, not knowing how to express his feelings of pain and loss, as well as the frustration he felt for himself.

Now Hodgins was on his feet, glaring at the big FBI agent as he snarled, "Well? Anything you want to say, Booth?"

Booth looked at his hands; in his mind, they were still wet and dripping with Brennan's blood. "There was so much blood. So much blood...and her eyes...her eyes..." He sank down into a chair, running his hands down his face, shaking his head, remembering. His face was pale, his eyes filled with agony as he stared at them and whispered, "She just...she died. Sitting there, looking at me. That sparkle in her eyes just...faded away. And she was gone. She was gone..."

It struck them then just how badly Brennan's death had shattered him. He had seen and done terrible things, but nothing, nothing compared to what he had just experienced. The woman he loved had died in his arms. He had been left behind.

**XXXXX**

A doctor came out of the back, eyeing the waiting room before heading for the big group of people that was gathered near the door. They had arrived just after Dr. Brennan had. The young MD could only assume that they were waiting on news on their friend. He dreaded what he had to say.

"Excuse me...are you all here because of Temperance Brennan?" Every one of them zeroed in on him instantly. _Yup, they're hers, _he thought as he said, "The good news is that she's out of surgery and that she is stable. The bad news is that she is very weak; she lost a lot of blood and has suffered some terrible physical abuse. At the moment, we have her on life support. Just to be safe." He added, seeing the fear in their eyes.

_Here comes the worst news, _he thought, bracing himself as he said, "But what has me most concerned is the complete lack of brain activity since we have had her here. I have called in the finest neurologist in the area to examine her brain scans and give a more concrete diagnosis. I am afraid, however, that she may have suffered brain damage from lack of blood circulation when her heart stopped. We won't know for sure until she wakes up." _If she wakes up._

He watched them react to the news he had just given them. For some reason, he felt compelled to say one last thing. "I must say, though, that your friend is easily the strongest woman I have ever seen. Men twice her size have succumbed to far less than what she has gone through. She may yet pull through." And with that, he walked away.

**XXXXX**

When Brennan came to, she found herself somewhere she didn't expect to be. _What am I doing here?_ She wondered as she wandered around. She instinctively knew that she was alone; the silence surrounding her was absolute. Then she sensed the presence of someone else.

"Hello Tempe. I have missed you." Brennan turned and found herself staring at her mother. "Mom? What am I doing here?" Her mother smiled calmly. "You know where you are, dear. You're in Limbo."

Surrounding Brennan were thousands of human remains in bone storage at the Jeffersonian, waiting for identification and re-burial. _AKA Limbo,_ Brennan thought, using Angela's nickname for the storage area.

_Not what I should be thinking about,_ she thought, turning back to her mother. "Mom? Why am I here?"

Christine Brennan looked into her daughter's eyes, her answer so unexpected that Brennan went stiff with shock.

"You are here to choose, Tempe. Either you can give up the fight, relinquish your hold on the mortal world and cease to be, or you can go back. It is your choice."


	8. Homeward Bound

After being harassed mercilessly by Booth and all the rest, the ICU team finally allowed them into the back to visit Brennan. Seeing the emotions warring in Booth's dark eyes, the Jeffersonian team decided to give him some time alone.

Booth opened the door slowly, his pain and despair nearly overwhelming him when he saw Brennan. She looked so small in the hospital bed, her skin nearly the same color as the sheets she was lying on. The whirr and click of the machines in the room added to the unsettling feeling of dread in Booth's heart as he slowly approached the bed.

He looked down at the unnaturally still form of his partner, reaching out and picking up her hand as tears came to his eyes and he whispered, "Oh Bones, I'm so sorry." He sat in a chair next to her bed, leaning down until his head rested alongside hers, his forehead brushing against her hair as he closed his eyes and let his tears flow freely. He was still holding her hand. _I'll never leave you again, Bones. Never._

**XXXXX**

Brennan looked at her mother, confused by her words. _What choice do I have, whether I live or die? That is something that I cannot control._ Christine smiled cryptically, answering her daughter's unspoken question, much to Brennan's astonishment.

"There is always a choice, Tempe. That is why you are here. You, and only you, can decide whether you are willing to fight to live or whether you are going to give up and die. There is something you should know, Tempe: your body is alive, but your brain is dead."

Brennan was staggered by that revelation, and she was even more shocked by what her mother said next. "Your mind and your soul, the very essence of who you are, is here. And you must make your decision soon, or those on the other side may make the decision for you. You are running out of time."

Christine watched her daughter carefully for a few seconds before she spoke again. "Before you decide, take a close look around." Brennan did as she asked, and she was astonished by what she now saw.

Thousands of people surrounded her now, watching her intently, but not unkindly. Men, women, and children of all ages and races filled the room to capacity. Their clothing indicated the time period in which they had lived; who they were and what they had done in life was unknown to the world, a mystery locked in time. Brennan saw them now, in all their glory, visions of the past that only she could see. She turned back to her mother in confusion.

"If you give up, Tempe, their souls will die with you. You have a very special gift; you, and you alone, can give them back their names and their faces. You can send them home. I should know; you found me."

Tears filled Brennan's eyes as her mother finished gently. "It is time, Tempe. What is your choice?"

Brennan scanned the room slowly, her gaze resting on every face before her, every lost soul looking for redemption, every person longing to go home. They all watched her with hope in their eyes, depending on her to set them free so they could rest forever. _What choice do I have? My work is not done._ She turned back to her mother, her voice strong as she said. "I'll go back. But how will I find my way?"

The image of Christine Brennan began to fade away before her eyes, but her voice still echoed out strongly. "Think of all those that you love and depend on. They never left you. One in particular is with you now, holding your hand in his, refusing to let you go. Remember him, Tempe. Believe in him. He will lead you home." And then she was gone. Brennan was left in Limbo, alone again, the silence her companion once more.

Brennan looked at her hand, realizing that she could feel his hand holding hers. She could feel his strength as she closed her eyes and called his name with all the love and belief in her heart and soul, trusting in him to bring her home. _Booth!_


	9. Finally Home

People had been coming and going for the last hour. Hodgins, Angela, and Cam all refused to leave until Brennan's neurologist stopped by to give his diagnosis on her condition.

The neurologist was a long-winded fellow that loved using big words that no one could understand. _Bones would have a field day with this guy, _Booth thought as he struggled to follow the doctor's lengthy diagnosis.

Losing her patience, Cam, who had understood what he was saying since her specialty was as a forensic pathologist, snapped, "So we won't know if she has any brain damage, whether temporary or permanent, until she regains consciousness?"

The neurologist gave her a dirty look as he sniffed and said, "That is correct, but there is still a very high probability that she will not wake up. That is something that even _you_ should know."

Booth's stare immediately cowed the man, bringing him down off of his soapbox as he said quickly, "But there is just as strong a probability that she will wake up." Then he scurried away.

_Coward,_ Booth thought. _He really could have kept the part about her not waking up to himself._ After studying everyone else in the room, he could tell they were all thinking the same thing.

Angela, obviously worn out to the point of collapse, wanted to stay, but Hodgins wouldn't hear of it, so they both left. Cam, knowing Booth wasn't going to leave Brennan's side for anything, excused herself as well.

Booth was left alone with Brennan, holding her hand, wondering if she was going to be okay. Not too long later, the exhausted FBI agent drifted off to sleep.

Booth had no idea how long he had been out when a slight pull on his hand brought him into immediate alertness. His eyes swept the room quickly before going back to Brennan.

_Her color looks a little better, _he thought as he studied her. Then he felt a pull again. He looked at her hand, watching it closely. _There it is again. But it's almost like she's not doing it..._

Curious now, the big agent gently squeezed her hand. He was astonished by what happened next.

Brennan's hand closed on his with so much strength that it startled him, and then he heard his name. But she didn't speak aloud. Her voice echoed in his mind once more.

_Booth, I believe in you. I need you to bring me home._

Puzzled by this, he asked aloud, "But what can I do?" Her voice answered immediately.

_Believe, Booth. All you have to do is believe._

Booth tightened his grip on her hand, leaning down until his forehead touched hers, his voice low but powerful, echoing like thunder from a distant storm. "I believe in you, Bones. I believe. I'm here, now and forever. And I will never leave you alone again."

So focused was he on his partner that Booth didn't hear the EEG start beeping as it began to register brain activity. He didn't notice her pulse becoming stronger. He didn't see her regaining her color. His focus was directed entirely on her face. And then she opened her eyes.

**XXXXX**

Faint beeping greeted her ears as Brennan slowly began regaining consciousness. She didn't open her eyes for a few seconds, waiting until she was sure that she was back in the real world before she did so. The first thing she saw was Booth's face. Or more accurately, his eyes.

His warm brown eyes were locked on hers the second she opened her eyes. He was resting his forehead against hers, holding one of her hands to his chest as he sat in a chair next to her. _How long has he been sitting like this?_ She wondered curiously as she painfully cleared her throat.

Her pain must have shown in her eyes because Booth immediately pulled his head back, his eyes filled with concern as he asked, "Hey Bones. How you feeling?" She gingerly touched her throat, shaking her head slightly in an indication that she did not want to speak. _Does he have a notepad and pen?_ She wondered.

Booth's eyes flickered as he said, "Yeah, I do, around here somewhere..." Then he stopped, realizing what he had just said. She looked at him in astonishment. _Can you hear me?_ She thought at him. Booth nodded his head.

_How is this possible? I've never believed in psychics..._ Booth just shrugged as he said, "Neither have I. All I know is that I started hearing your voice in my head after you were taken. I thought it was just the extreme stress we were both under. Now I have no idea what's going on."

Brennan snorted, quickly regretting that as her body reminded her that she had just had the living hell beaten out of her. _Oh, Angela's going to have a hayday with this..._ Booth smiled slightly as he said, "Field day, Bones. Field day." They smiled at each other in recognition of how routine his correction was.

_So, did you get him?_ Booth nodded. _I remember him...the senator's aide, Ken Thompson. The crazy murderer that tried to start me on fire from the Cleo Eller case. How did he get out?_

The anger in Booth's eyes was clear as he said, "The senator pulled some strings, got him an early release. He happen to say why he decided to kidnap you and beat the hell out of you?"

A flashback from just before she was knocked out in her apartment brought a grunt of pain with it as she thought, _Yeah. You're not going to like it._

They stared at each other for a long moment before she finished. _Heather Taffet, the Gravedigger. Might want to do some digging and see what kind of contact they had while he was behind bars._

Shock, disbelief, and anger surfaced in Booth's eyes with such strength that Brennan turned away. "Hey Bones, I'm not mad at you. Look at me." She turned back, tears in her eyes as she met his gaze once more. He reached out, gently running his fingers down the side of her face as he said, "Don't worry, I'm here. She won't hurt you anymore. I'll make sure of it."

They sat like that for a few moments before she thought, _Booth, there's something I need to tell you, even though you deserve to hear it out loud. I realized something after we went our separate ways last year. I realized just how much I enjoy having you as my partner and how much I depend on you as a friend. I also realized just how much I need to have you in my life. I have come to realize that there will always be pain in life, no matter how much we try to avoid it. I also realized that I messed up when I told you no. I didn't mean that I don't care about you...I was just afraid that if it didn't work out, I'd lose you forever. I was ready to die earlier today for what I did to you last year. I could never live with myself if I put you through that again. And I'm willing to give this a chance, no matter the cost._

She gathered her thoughts for a few seconds, trying to quiet her frantically racing heart as she looked into his eyes once more, determined to finish what she had started. _I love you, Booth. I love you with all my heart and soul._

She sat quietly, watching him take in everything she had just revealed. _I hope I'm not making a mistake, _she thought. Booth's eyes flickered, a sudden warmth emerging as he looked at her with so much love that she felt her heart skip a beat. "You're not making a mistake, Bones. I promise you that."

Sitting next to her carefully, Booth very gently wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close as he laid his chin on the top of her head and said softly, "I love you too, Bones. I always have, and I always will."

A small smile crossed Brennan's face as she leaned into him, nuzzling her head into his chest as she relaxed and slowly closed her eyes. A sense of peace stole over her, bringing with it the sense that she had found what she had spent so much of her life looking for. _Home._ She had finally found her home.


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It had been three months since Dr. Temperance Brennan had been kidnapped and subsequently tortured. She had spent nearly a month in the hospital recovering from her injuries, but the lingering after-effects of her physical trauma were not what had her friends concerned.

Brennan was famed for her ability to compartmentalize her feelings as well as whatever traumatic incidents she had gone through. This time was no different, and yet, it was.

Something had changed during her ordeal, something that brought a much more personal aspect to her relationship with FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. He could now hear her voice in his mind, whether they were together or apart. Sometimes, it was a good thing. Other times, it proved to be an unfortunate hinderance in their partnership.

Despite his newfound ability to 'read' her mind, Booth couldn't get through regarding what had happened to her while she was at the mercy of Ken Thompson, the man responsible for murdering Cleo Eller nearly eight years ago. That was why all of Brennan's friends, including him, were so concerned. And today was no different...

Brennan was sitting in her office, her mind wandering as she scrolled through her email. _Hmm...what a boring day. I should go home, finish moving my stuff to the new place, _she thought.

Ever since her kidnapping, Brennan just hadn't felt comfortable in her apartment, so she decided to move. She was in the middle of the transition, half of her stuff at her old place, half at the new. Most of the time, she slept on the couch in her office at the Jeffersonian, where she actually felt safe. She didn't want to admit just how badly she had been rattled by her brush with death.

There had been one change that had come about because of her kidnapping that she didn't mind, however. _Here comes Booth. Right on time, _she thought, looking at her watch.

"Hey Bones. How's it going?" Booth asked as he walked through her door. She smiled up at him as she opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off.

"Thinking about finishing moving, huh? Gonna take the day?" Brennan couldn't help but laugh at him.

She had been able to send her thoughts to him for three months and she had learned a lot about how to control her abilities in that time. She had deliberately thrown out her thoughts about finishing moving, just to see if it brought him into her office, which it did.

"Yeah, I think so. I kinda need a break anyway. Today's been quite dull. Just give me a moment to finish here and then I'll call Cam." She said as she turned back to her computer. She felt Booth's gaze lingering on her and immediately threw out a mental warning.

_Don't ask._

He immediately put his hands up as he said, "All right, I won't. I'll just sit here until you're ready." And with that, he plonked down on her couch.

Brennan clicked away on her computer again, but her heart wasn't in it. With a sigh, she logged off, shutting the computer down as she grabbed her stuff and walked out. She noted that Booth was about to ask her if she was all right, but a razor sharp glance from her kept him muzzled. _Temporarily. I won't be able to hold him at bay for much longer._

With Booth at her side, Brennan stopped by Cam's office, explaining that she wanted to go home and why, before heading out. Booth had been her constant companion ever since her kidnapping. Not that she minded any.

It was a beautiful spring day in Washington, D.C.. Brennan's eyes drifted around, taking in the scenery as they headed for their vehicles. For a split second, her mind wandered to the day of her kidnapping, and she wondered what would have happened if she had died that day.

"Don't go there. You're still here. That's all that matters." Booth's deep voice rumbled near her ear. She bit back a sharp retort as she thought, _If only they understood..._

Booth stepped in front of her, forcing her to come to a halt as he looked at her with concern buried in his deep brown eyes. "If you'd tell us, maybe we would." He said, his eyes not leaving hers.

Brennan was prepared to fire off a sharp retort when she noticed someone standing about fifteen feet away, watching them calmly. Something about the woman's gaze made Brennan curious, so she stepped around her partner and approached the woman.

_A soldier, _Brennan thought as she studied the words 'US Army' emblazoned across the left side of the woman's ACUs. _She looks...dangerous._ Brennan realized, studying the soldier more closely.

She was short, about five feet two inches tall, with a stocky, muscular build. _Unusual to see so much muscle on a female this size,_ Brennan thought as she studied the soldier's face.

She found herself staring into a set of steel blue eyes that held a hint of danger in them, but not an actual threat. _Unless she's pushed to it. _Brennan couldn't get a good look at her hair because of the beret she was wearing, but if the sides were any indicator, she had short, scruffy silver blonde hair.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." The soldier greeted her, surprising Brennan once again. Her voice was clear, but it had an unexpected bass note in it, making her voice much deeper than Brennan expected.

"Good afternoon. Is there something we can help you with? I couldn't help but notice that you were watching us." Brennan replied as Booth followed close behind.

The soldier's eyes flicked to Booth before returning to Brennan, her eyes oddly calm as she said, "You must be Dr. Temperance Brennan. And you," She looked at Booth, "must be Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI."

She waited for their nods of assent before she continued. "Forgive my rudeness...I am Sergeant Kate Bell. I am here because you, both of you, are in danger."

_What in the world is this? Is she serious? _Brennan thought as Booth stepped forward, his eyes alight with annoyance as he said, "Oh we are, are we? And what danger would that be?"

Sergeant Bell's eyes flickered, something in them sending a chill through Brennan. _She knows something. Something big. Something bad._ Her thoughts were interrupted by Bell's answer. "I cannot say...not here. For now, you are safe. I can keep him away, but I need to stay near you to do that. May I accompany you to wherever you are going?"

Booth didn't look convinced, but Brennan shot him a glance as she thought, _Booth, I get the feeling that she's telling the truth. Until we find out what's going on, let's keep her close, huh? Can it hurt to let her tag along until she can tell us why she's here?_

Booth looked at her, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that his decision was made. "Sure, you can come. But I expect you to tell us everything as soon as you can. Deal?"

Sergeant Bell nodded, an odd look entering her eyes as she said, "Deal. I'll follow you."

**XXXXX**

As her two new charges turned and walked towards the parking lot, Kate looked the opposite way, her eyes darkening to a color reminiscent of a threatening storm as she thought, _The Watcher is here. I know he is. And those two are the new targets. What's his endgame this time?_

She scanned the area once more before turning and following the FBI agent and forensic anthropologist, all her senses on alert as she thought, _I'm not letting him take any more innocent lives. Not again._

**XXXXX**

Half a mile away, a man sat on a rooftop, staring through a set of binoculars. _Ahhh, it's Sergeant Bell. She found my targets. Very good. If I play this right, I can get rid of her at the same time as I take care of them. Yes, very good._

He watched until he saw what vehicles the three of them got into, taking down the makes, models, and plate numbers as they pulled out. _Well done, Kate. You did earn the title of The Guardian for good reason. But this time, you're a target too. Let the games begin._

**A/N**

**Just so this epilogue makes a little more sense, there is a follow-on story to this one that I am working on tranferring. It's called Shadow Song. I should have it up and online in a couple days.**


End file.
